An Unusual Request
by Primal Red
Summary: Discontinued.
1. Predicament

**Title: **An Unusual Request

**Chapter Title:** Predicament

**Author:** Primal Red

**Character(s)/Pairing:** Miura Haru. Ninth Vongola boss. Gradual and eventual TsuHaru.

**Genre:** General/Drama/Romance

**Rating:** K+ for mostly implied background violence and language. May become PG-13 later on.

**Warnings: **Some mentions of crime business and slight colorful language (thanks to Gokudera).

**Summary:** [Alternate Universe where Tsuna moves to Italy when he's 14 and Haru never meets Tsuna] Haru needs to be married by the age of 22. Desperate, she asks for help from the Vongola mafia family's Ninth boss to find a good husband. In return for the favor, she must help the Tenth Vongola mafia boss-to-be, Sawada Tsunayoshi, improve his poor academic record.

* * *

Chapter 1: Predicament

* * *

The night air was cool and calm like everything that she had hoped for of the summer weather in Milan, Italy. She had wanted to go to Venice or Rome to study the history and look through the scenery, but the fact was that this was where the fashion capital of the world lies in other than Paris and Tokyo.

This was where she wanted to start her dreams.

This was where she had sought to study for the basis of her greatest hopes.

The room was well-furnished, and there were almost no need of considerations for packing and so forth when she first came here about a year ago. The transparent white drapery floated against the wind, flapping gently in the cool breeze like ghostly fabric and wrapping their edges around the path and direction of the wind to escape being pushed further away. In some ways, the mirrors on the sides of the room made it very picturesque due to the fact that they created an effect of reflecting the outside world into the area. It sure didn't help that the scenic view from the porch made the place exceptionally complete.

All was well, except for the dark-haired, thin figure sitting by the table on the floor, her hands trembling and her eyes moist with tears.

_"I hate to say this, Haru, but…your mother and I need to make sure that you are safe and happy for the rest of your life. You can't expect to take care of us forever in our old age. And even though you wish to chase your dreams, there is at least one request we want from you to ensure us so that we won't worry anymore."_

The phone lay on the ground, haphazardly placed by the side of her white skirt and seemingly left there as though the user had forgotten about its existence. It was just a moment ago when the phone call came, one of a long series of phone calls from home that sent worried messages and the same request over and over again.

_"Haru-chan, you need to find a responsible, capable husband."_

It was almost as though they had requested her to find a needle in a haystack.

_"But, dad…Haru…Haru doesn't want to marry so soon! Haru doesn't know how to find a husband immediately!"_

_"If you can't find one, we will get you one. But, I think you would rather choose for yourself instead, right, Haru?"_

Haru blinked, then reached for her pocket tissues and wiped her face. It was too coincidental, really. Her parents had been sending her request after request of getting her a husband, and though she had not grown up with the idea of being married so soon, she knew that she had little choice.

She was only fifteen, a Japanese exchange student in Italy, and with no proper major to study for college despite her stellar academic records.

And now, her dreams of becoming a costume designer were going out the window.

Then again, she had always known in some way that it was not an option. There was a corner of her heart that had always known that such an occupation would not only make her parents hit the ceiling metaphorically, but also would not support her well in Japan.

And, she had only two more years before she would go to college.

It wouldn't surprise her if her parents disowned her and broke off all financial aid to her studying if she refused to find a husband.

She had to find a boyfriend, and at least be married to someone by the age of twenty-two.

The problem, however, was that she didn't know how to find one. For all she knew, she was not very desirable as a girlfriend and a wife, considering her habit of pronouns and tendencies towards jumping to conclusions and other eccentricities. She also knew that the chances aren't high in finding someone good in a matchmaking business proposal, either. What was worse, however, was that she didn't know how to start dating in the first place.

She had never dated in her entire life, and now she was expected to find a boyfriend almost right away and be married.

Never mind. Needle in a haystack isn't the right way to say it. Needle in a thousand haystacks sounded closer.

She was used to the idea of having certain things set up for her, despite having tried to gain her independence from the standard Japanese society female's ideals. However, she couldn't let this be decided by others, even if those people who made the decision were her parents.

She had to do something. What it was, however, she didn't know.

Haru got up slowly, threw the used tissue into her garbage can, and walked into the bathroom. She needed to think, and carefully. If she was to make this decision on her own, she was going to make sure that her decision was a sound one.

But first, she needed a bath, and a short walk around the city. For all she knew, she might be able to find something that ways.

* * *

Haru used the knife to cut through the last slice of pizza on the plate. It had certainly taken a while for her to get used to the food here, but once she did she found that it was quite tasty. Luckily for her, her rented apartment was just a block away from the center of Milan.

It was a pity that she didn't have Kyoko-chan here with her to share these things with. The night scenery was beautiful, and the food was delicious.

Haru smiled sadly. She had sent Kyoko a letter in the last few days, though she wasn't quite sure how to explain her current situation so easily. If there was one thing she knew that she was worried about, it was making a misunderstanding and scaring her only best friend away. Though she knew that Kyoko wasn't so flighty and quick-tempered as she herself was at times, she still felt unworthy of the bright-haired girl's friendship nevertheless.

And, to top it off, Kyoko was currently dating, some boy who was well-known and popular at Namimori High. In a sense, her friend probably knew at least about how to find a good boyfriend.

Haru sighed. She shouldn't bother her friend about such things. She could ask for advice, but she had to do that in a way of not making the question a burden for her closest comrade.

"_Grazie_, young miss. Here's the receipt."

Haru looked up, and noticed that one of the Italian waiters in the store was talking to her. "Oh. _Grazie_, sir," she answered in Italian.

"Haha…your welcome. A young lady like you shouldn't need to be so formal."

Haru smiled apologetically and continued in Italian. "I'm sorry. I'm so used to formalities in my homeland that sometimes I forget."

"No problem."

"I have a question, though…why are the streets here so quiet at times like this? I thought that this was one of the busiest places of Milan."

"It is, for most of the day. During hours like these, actually, the Vongola family comes to check the safety of the area."

"Vongola family?"

"Er…yeah."

"…oh…" Haru blinked. "I guess they're good people, then."

"…yeah. They never fail to fulfill a request that they take. In a case like this, people pay them for the safety."

Haru watched as a small bead of sweat flowed down the young man's brow as he took her payment, turned away and walked back to the counter, and bit on her lip. What was so terrifying? Was this so-called Vongola family so scary?

And, what's this about taking requests?

Wait a second…

The Vongola family took requests…and according to the waiter, they never failed to fulfill them when they took them.

And, if that was the case, they might even take her request if she asked them of something.

Haru stood up. Maybe this Vongola family could hear her request out. Silly as it was, if they could take her request, she might just be able to fulfill the last request her parents wanted her to take.

All she needed to do now was to find this Vongola family and get them to help her.

* * *

His grades were no higher than usual.

And at this rate, he would never be able to attend the business school that he was arranged for.

Timoteo, the Ninth boss of the renowned Vongola mafia family, was beyond worried. Despite all his efforts, his successor Sawada Tsunayoshi was at a point in time that made it exceptionally difficult. Despite all his work and Reborn's tutoring to make him an efficient and capable mafia boss, the teenager was still doing badly academically.

And it was likely that his successor had best avoid finding any random tutor; had the world found out that the Tenth Vongola mafia boss was incapable of doing well academically, it would be a disaster for the family. There could be a spy sent in disguised as a tutor, and though Tsuna was quite capable already as a mafia boss-to-be, it would not do to have him deal with even more problems than he had now.

It was unfortunate, really, because the Vongola currently was at a time when there were many family members who couldn't be trusted with such a task. The Ninth boss knew that there were many more-than-capable people in his great family who can be up to the task of helping Tsuna academically, but the fact was that these same people could also be loyal to his adopted son Xanxus—a man in his twenties and already hoping to gain the Tenth status despite his defeat at Tsuna's hands—or worse, an outside enemy mafia family.

And, to top it all off, Tsunayoshi was only sixteen. Capable of leadership and fighting and taking down criminals and destructive psychopaths already, but still inferior in regards to his study and testing skills required to get into the business school that all the previous mafia dons of the Vongola were required to go to.

The six other Guardians that Tsuna was with are not in any position to help, either. The Tenth Storm Guardian, in particular, was excellent in studying academically, but he had too little time on his hands due to preparations in regards to being the right-hand man in the mafia world. Business was difficult to maintain, and though he knew that the boy wanted badly to help Tsuna with such matters, the financial strains that the Vongola had recently been dealing with were occupying his time completely. If he were to take on the role of the tutor, he would be overworking himself into a vicious cycle.

Timoteo knew that he needed to do something about this. And fast.

"Boss, there's a girl who wants to see you."

"What? A girl?" He blinked. What was going on?

"She says she has a favor to ask."

Timoteo stopped, then nodded. "Send her in, please."

The doors opened, and the Ninth boss of the Vongola found himself face-to-face with a tense-looking fifteen-year-old Japanese girl.

Timoteo blinked. What was a girl from a protected place doing trying to ask a favor from the Vongola family in the late evening for? He glanced at her warily from behind his desk, cleared his throat, and spoke in Japanese.

"Good evening, miss. How may I help you?"

The girl bit on her lip, bowed politely and fidgeted with a bit of unease. "Um…Haru has a request to make of the Vongola family."

"A request?" Now, this is strange.

"Um…yeah." More nervousness, as well as fear and shyness. Timoteo watched as the girl unwittingly clenched her hands together, as though she would fall apart if she didn't.

"What sort of request?"

More silence. The girl was deathly pale at this moment, and something seemed off about her due to the sense of awe and fear she had at that moment of him and the Guardians in the room.

Timoteo glanced carefully into her eyes, and immediately noticed that she was looking everywhere except at him and the others. And yet, something told him that it wasn't because she had anything to hide, that she was a bit afraid of being laughed at for her request. For all he knew, his intuition had yet to prove him wrong in this aspect.

"Miss Haru, what sort of request brings you here to seek the Vongola family's aid?"

"…Haru wants the Vongola family to help her find a good husband."

What?

Timoteo blinked. Did she just say what he thought she said? He glanced to the side at his Guardians, just to make sure that he had heard her right. To his amazement, they all wore the same expression that he had on his face.

A good husband? Was that really what she wanted? Timoteo allowed his glance to fall back on the girl sitting on the other side of his desk. She seemed so small at that moment, as though she wished the ground would whisk her down into the earth and make her disappear. Her cheeks were so red, they seemed to be burning in a way that made him realize something else.

She wasn't lying.

"What's your full name, Miss Haru?"

"Miura Haru."

Timoteo nodded, then thought for a moment. "Miss Haru, I think it is safe to say that we are surprised of you to show up with such a request."

He watched as Haru looked down into her hands. "Haru knows. Haru thinks it is a strange request as well."

"Then…why this request?"

"Because…Haru has to get married by twenty-two. Or else…she will shame her family."

"Oh?" So that was what it was. Though he rarely went to Japan, the Ninth knew that the customs of said nation were grounded in a way that made it particularly difficult to change. Such was proven, as he knew, from many people he knew from there. His successor, Sawada Tsunayoshi, for instance, insisted that he speak in Japanese with his Guardians and close friends when not in public. "Why, though? Aren't you near the age of going to college?"

"Yes. Unfortunately, Haru can't go to college because she doesn't know what major she is yet. Haru's dreams are not very useful, either, because she can't help her family's financial state with an occupation of being a costume designer. Haru hopes, though, that her husband will let her continue studying so that she won't have to be just another housewife."

Timoteo blinked. So, she was thinking ahead in the short term as well as in the long term. Good for her. Such was a skill that he hoped Tsuna would learn someday in a sense. He stopped and glanced at Haru's records, and noticed immediately that the girl was an exchange student at a neighboring elite school not far from where Tsuna attended his classes.

Just another smart girl with big dreams and a difficult situation.

Timoteo stopped to think for a moment. Considering her history—and considering her boldness in approaching him with such a strange request—she was most certainly not someone who understood the rules and decorum of the mafia world. That meant the girl was not affiliated with any mafia society or criminal organization the Vongola knew about or had dealt with whatsoever. In such a way, she was as normal as any girl on the suburban streets of Japan.

He paused to look through her grades. She was most certainly excellent at doing well academically—given that she was near the top of the class almost all the time—and though she didn't do as well in certain aspects of being a sociable young lady, he heard that she had a friend who she hung out with in Japan. Such was probably a difficult time for her, considering that she didn't know who to ask for help.

Timoteo felt himself blink as his mind reached a conclusion. Wait! Now why didn't he think of this before?

"Miss Haru, we are honored that you have come to us to fulfill such a request. However, the mafia usually does requests based on payment and so forth…"

"Hahi? But…but…Haru doesn't know how much it costs, and she isn't sure if she can pay immediately here…"

"That's alright, Miss Haru. A request isn't always worth the same thing as a payment, right? Now…I have an idea. If Miss Haru isn't against it…given your excellent academic record, would you mind tutoring someone affiliated with the Vongola family for six years in exchange for our family to fulfill the request that you have given us?"

Timoteo watched as Haru widened her eyes, and chuckled. Such an expressive, interesting child he had found.

"Er…is the person who you want Haru to tutor dangerous?"

"Not quite. He is a capable fighter, though."

He watched as Haru bit on her lip, and realized that she was slightly worried about the arrangement due to her fear of the mafia and its people to an extent. "Miss Haru, I assure you. He will not hurt you in any manner as long as I am here."

"…r—really?"

Timoteo smiled calmly. "I give you my word, Miss Haru."

The girl blinked, then nodded weakly. "…okay, then. Haru accepts."

"Alright. We shall see you again and discuss this matter here by Saturday in the afternoon. I believe that is when you have a bit of time off from Accademia di Machiavelli, right?"

"Yes."

* * *

To be continued…


	2. Anticipation

**Title: **An Unusual Request

**Chapter Title:** Anticipation

**Author:** Primal Red

**Character(s)/Pairing:** Miura Haru. Sawada Tsunayoshi. Ninth Vongola boss. Gradual and eventual TsuHaru.

**Genre:** General/Drama/Romance

**Rating:** K+ for mostly implied background violence and language. May become PG-13 later on.

**Warnings:** Eventually, some mentions of crime business and slight colorful language (thanks to Gokudera).

**Summary:** [Alternate Universe where Tsuna moves to Italy when he's 14 and Haru never meets Tsuna] Haru needs to be married by the age of 22. Desperate, she asks for help from the Vongola mafia family's Ninth boss to find a good husband. In return for the favor, she must help the Tenth Vongola mafia boss-to-be, Sawada Tsunayoshi, improve his poor academic record.

* * *

Chapter 2: Anticipation

* * *

Timoteo turned. According to his intuition, Tsuna had woken up from his slumber, and was walking down the hallway towards him.

"Ninth, Tenth is here."

"Send him in."

"Yes, sir."

The doors opened, and Tsuna trudged in warily, with a most exhausted, sleepy expression on his face. Timoteo chuckled. Apparently, the boy hadn't slept well for the last few days due to the matters at hand.

"Good morning, Tsu-kun."

"…er, good morning, Ninth."

"I have a matter to speak to you about."

He watched as Tsuna blinked, and smiled knowingly as the boy's expression went from confused to wary. Good for him, that's for sure. So far, the boy was growing up well. He just hoped that Tsuna wouldn't have to inherit his life's mistakes for the rest of HIS life.

"Yesterday at around midnight, we had a visitor who made a most unusual request."

Tsuna nodded hesitantly, and Timoteo took that as a sign to continue.

"We found that she had a clean background and a most excellent academic record."

Tsuna blinked.

"We've asked the girl, in return for her request, to tutor you on your schooling."

The Ninth boss of the Vongola watched as his successor-to-be widened his eyes and turn pale at his words. "…w—what?"

"I've arranged for you to meet her on Saturday, just in case to see whether or not you are willing to accept this."

"Ninth! I…I really…I c—can't! H—how…"

Timoteo sighed. "Tsu-kun…I really hate to say this, but…your academic record hasn't been in the best state, especially recently. Reborn has told me that the grades are nowhere near the level to reach the eligibility level for acceptance at the private business university we want you to go to. The thing is, all the previous Vongola bosses, myself included, have gone to that university as a tradition and as a form of symbolic trust with the allies and other mafia families in the Cosa Nostra."

The Ninth boss watched as Tsuna winced and his words became hesitant. "I…well…the thing is, I really still don't know if I want to become a mafia boss…even now…"

"That's understandable, Tsu-kun. I'm sorry that I have to leave such a burden on you like this."

"Well…it's just…I don't know if I can ever live up to the expectations by everyone else…I mean, the only people I know who don't expect that much from me are you and my Guardians and friends…"

"I know."

Tsuna bit on his lip, and Timoteo watched as his successor thought for a moment, then glance up at him. "So…should I meet her on Saturday here, then?"

"I can tell her to meet at a different time, if you wish. Or…"

"No, wait! I can meet her on Saturday. It's just that, well…I don't know her."

Timoteo nodded.

"But, I guess I will need to meet her sooner or later, right? Just to know if I can study with her watching without being laughed at."

Timoteo smiled knowingly. "That, I don't think, is going to be a problem. So far, I've observed her enough, and she seems nice enough."

"R—really?"

"Indeed, she is. In fact, she was concerned at the time that I would laugh at her request."

* * *

The morning sunlight fell through the windows like a golden curtain, and Haru blinked in the rays as she thought about what had just happened. She had been sent home by a Vongola family member by car, and she had fallen asleep—

_And she had asked a prominent, powerful mafia family to find her a good husband._

In return for her tutoring and studying with one of their people.

It was a strange, albeit scary, arrangement, for sure.

Haru glanced at the clock. Six-thirty in the morning.

She needed to go to school.

Haru sighed, then pushed herself off the bed and went to dress herself.

* * *

Tsuna felt himself yawn as he blinked before getting out of bed. He had not expected the Ninth to call on him so early in the morning, though it was probably something he should have known considering that Grandpa always woke up early in the morning or stayed up late in the evening with work and so forth.

What's more, he had not expected to get himself a possible new tutor in academic studies.

Miura Haru, was it?

Some Japanese exchange student like himself who just happened to be a year younger than him.

_And who happened to have absolutely wonderful grades._

Tsuna flinched. He didn't want to meet her. What if she was stuck-up? What if she looked down on him? What if—

What if she hated him?

Tsuna sighed. Well, he had at least two more days to wait before he met her. At the very least, if things didn't work out between him and this strange girl, he would tell the Ninth to change the arrangement or something.

But, for now, he had to go to school—at least, here in Italy. He just hoped that he didn't have to face any more ridicule than he already had to deal with.

Tsuna pushed himself off the bed and went to get dressed.

* * *

"Look! It's that loser!"

"I can't believe he's even attending this school!"

"Seriously, shouldn't he transfer to a less prestigious school? What the heck is he doing here, anyways?"

Tsuna turned away from the whispers and jeering in Italian on the streets, eager to get to the school gates of the Accademia di Sicilia Prima. It was always like this, and though he knew that he was more capable than he let on as a mafia boss, he was always failing and losing academically and in regards to sports. Reborn had, in the last few years, told him to keep his real identity and Dying Will Vongola flame a secret from the world, and though he didn't like the idea of being seen as a loser, he knew that it was necessary to keep everyone in his family and circle of friends safe.

He had no reason to be here…except to keep an eye on everyone.

It was only a few years ago when he left Japan, and yet those days were so far away from him. He had all but forgotten about his school, but he never forgot the girl he liked from there.

Sasagawa Kyoko…

The perfect, angelic, innocent Sasagawa Kyoko…

Kind, generous Kyoko-chan.

_Kyoko-chan, who didn't even know he existed._

He wondered how she was, and whether or not she had a boyfriend now…

Then again, he probably shouldn't think about that now. He was halfway across the world, and not in any position to ask her on a date, anyways.

It was right then and there that Tsuna realized that he had walked and crashed straight into someone on the stairs. He felt a pair of arms desperately grasp his left arm, and before he could regain his balance, he fell down the stairs with the individual who he bumped into.

"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!"

"Hahi! Ouch!"

The two of them crashed onto the ground with a sickening thud, and Tsuna wondered whether or not he should have allowed that daydream to take over his sense of surrounding.

Damn it…he really was stupid.

"…hahiiiii…"

Tsuna looked down at the person he fell on. Wait…a Japanese girl. A Japanese exchange student. About his age.

Wait…isn't that an Accademia di Machiavelli uniform, the outfit that they wore at the most prestigious school in Italy—

Tsuna gulped, got up immediately, and bowed. "Damn it! I'm sorry! So sorry, miss! I'm so sorry!"

"…hahiii…" The girl whined in pain, then blinked and slowly sat up. Noticing the boy in front her with his head bowed, she glanced at him angrily. "Wait…what are you sorry for?"

Tsuna gulped. "Er…for falling and for crashing into you?"

The girl blinked, then nodded. "…oh."

"Look, it's him!"

"Ahahaha! Loser!"

Tsuna winced, then quickly spoke again in Japanese. "Damn it! I gotta go! Sorry, miss!" He grabbed his suitcase and ran off, leaving the girl with her backpack alone at the street.

* * *

Haru blinked. Who the hell was that? One moment, she had been thinking about what to do for the tutoring, and the next moment, she had been falling down the stairs, and she had grabbed someone's arm to keep herself balanced. Unfortunately, that didn't work, and she and said person had both fallen down the stairs.

Said person had the nerve to bump into her without thinking. Though, it was her fault that she grabbed his arm.

Said person, however, had apologized and ran away like the plague was after him.

The dark-haired girl thought for a moment. Those people who were wearing the same uniform as he was had been jeering and bullying him, for some reason. Though she wasn't one to judge things, it seemed that the people at the other Accademia on the other side weren't very nice and reminded her of the bullies in her elementary school years…

Haru shook her head. Maybe she could meet that same boy somewhere and help him, though she wasn't sure how she could do that and not make things worse for him, but she couldn't mind other people's business without them allowing her to. She wasn't completely sure of the entire situation, so she had best keep to herself for now and keep her grades up.

Still, if she were to meet that person again, perhaps she could ask him what was going on.

Haru picked herself up, took her backpack, and walked towards the school gates of the Accademia di Machiavelli.

* * *

It was during those two days that Tsuna was reminded constantly of why he hated school: almost all the students at the Academy looked down on him, and thought of him as a wimpy, useless boy who couldn't do anything right. Gokudera-kun and Yamamoto were there to keep him out of trouble, as were Ryohei-senpai, Chrome-san and Hibari-san, but even they couldn't keep the other students from sneering at him when his Guardians weren't looking. It took him again half of his energy to ignore the painfully glaring signs that he wasn't welcome here, that he had no light in his world here…

That Kyoko-chan might never see him again…

Tsuna sighed. At least it was over with for now. Saturday was coming up, and though he knew that he had to meet the Miura Haru girl, he also knew that he would at least not have to deal with other people who he didn't want to see.

Tsuna sighed, walked up to the Ninth's main office door and knocked.

* * *

Haru looked out the side window of the car as the door opened to one of the several gates of the Vongola mansion. Though she had never heard of the Vongola family before in her earlier years, she knew that a powerful, prominent mafia family would often keep their actions and directions secret. Such was the way a mafia prospered, especially the Cosa Nostra.

Still, she was surprised to see the Vongola family mansion.

It was very wonderfully-done as a work of architecture, indeed.

Actually, that was an understatement. It was magnificent. She really wondered, especially, how they managed to make those fountains so beautiful and how the designs were done so intricately.

Only the very higher upper class could afford such things.

Her thought process was stopped when the car reached a halt and stopped, and several men walked up to the door. "Miss Haru, the Ninth is waiting for you."

"…okay. T—thanks." She shakily replied, still not believing her eyes.

She was then led through a side door of the garden, and there Haru was allowed to see the many intricate pathways at the front of the entire estate. If anything, she doubted that any other businesspeople in the world could even make a year's worth of income that could pay for such luxury. For a moment, she wondered where the Vongola's financial resources came from, then quickly banished the thought to a faraway corner of her mind.

She shouldn't mind other people's business. That and…such wealth was possibly tainted with human blood and agony.

Haru shivered at the thought.

"Do you feel cold, Miss Haru?"

"Er, no!" Haru quickly replied. "No…I just was…thinking of something else…something far away."

The men nodded, then unlocked the door and allowed her to walk in.

* * *

It was in the mansion that Haru wondered whether or not she was in danger. She had been walking along for the past five minutes, not speaking out of fear, and yet the men with her were silent, grim and armed. For a moment, she wondered whether or not there was a chance of her being killed by anyone outside of the Vongola.

Haru bit on her lip, and continued walking down the corridor to the large door at the right.

When she and the men reached the door, the man waiting at the door whispered to the foremost of her guardians and opened the door, allowing her to go into another corridor.

She just hoped that she wasn't making a mistake here and doing something to harm anyone.

It took another two minutes of walking before they finally reached the door of the Vongola main office, albeit a side door of it.

The man at this door walked up to the group, nodded at the words of the foremost man who told them that the tutor had arrived, and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Haru looked to the side, and saw that the men nodded to her. She then turned to the door and pushed.

Light shined through into the corridor, and she found herself looking into the office in the afternoon daylight, with the Ninth and one other person who was standing next to the window. Said person turned in the sunlight, and Haru widened her eyes at the sight of the same frightened, uncertain teenaged boy who she ran into the other day, now looking at her warily with vivid, fire-colored eyes and fiery gloved hands and a bright flame on his forehead.

"Ah, it's nice to see you, again. Miss Miura Haru. Now, this is my successor and the person you will be tutoring from now on, Sawada Tsunayoshi."

* * *

To be continued…

* * *

Please review!


	3. Contract

**Title:** An Unusual Request

**Chapter Title: **Contract

**Author:** Primal Red

**Character(s)/Pairing:** Miura Haru. Sawada Tsunayoshi. Timoteo (Ninth Vongola boss). Gradual and eventual TsuHaru.

**Genre:** General/Drama/Romance

**Rating:** K+/PG

**Warnings:** None.

**Summary:** [Alternate Universe where Tsuna moves to Italy when he's 14 and Haru never meets Tsuna] Haru needs to be married by the age of 22. Desperate, she asks for help from the Vongola mafia family's Ninth boss to find a good husband. In return for the favor, she must help the Tenth Vongola mafia boss-to-be, Sawada Tsunayoshi, improve his poor academic record.

* * *

**A/N:** So…I managed to write this one out earlier, mostly because it was easier to imagine. Darn it...I sure hope that it fits well.

And, for those who are waiting for Under the Endless Sky, thank you so much for your patience. I'm still in process of working on chapter 6 and 7, so don't worry. No way am I discontinuing that work!

* * *

Chapter 3: Contract

* * *

Haru felt her words catch at the back of her throat. Of all people that she would have to teach, it was that boy.

Damn. And she was hoping that she wouldn't be in an awkward situation, either.

She just hoped that she didn't leave a bad impression on him. She knew that she didn't quite understand how to make good friends in a situation she didn't know anything about handling. It wasn't like she would have to get to know this boy first, but the fact was that six years of tutoring was a long time.

_So much for plans to stay to myself and not mess up in front of others_, Haru thought bitterly.

She was, for a lack of better words, hesitant about the fact that she would have to open herself up to someone she didn't know well and had gotten angry with at one time.

"You."

"Oh, so the two of you know each other?"

"Er…yeah, Grandpa. We kinda met each other in front of my school," the boy—Sawada Tsunayoshi—said in Japanese, warily glancing at her from the side, "Mostly by accident."

Haru felt her lip tremble. This was not what she had in mind.

She was going to tutor a mafia boss.

A future mafia boss.

A future mafia boss who will one day become the leader of the Vongola, the most powerful mafia organization in the world.

Or so she had found out recently, having gotten enough information from the Ninth boss and certain others in regards to criminal organization history.

She wondered if this was going to be the last thing she did in Italy. Or more likely, whether or not she was going to be killed if she wasn't careful.

"Tsu-kun," the Ninth smiled, as though he somehow was ignorant or ignoring the tension between the two, "This is Miss Miura Haru. I would like the two of you to be civil and get to know each other."

Haru blinked, and watched in horror as the boy—Sawada Tsunayoshi, Tenth and future boss of the Vongola mafia family—calmly walked up to her, fire-toned eyes glancing straight into hers all the time, and took her hand into one of his gloved ones. "Pleased to meet you, Haru-san."

Haru felt herself uncontrollably wince at the contact. "Um…"

"Miss Haru?"

Haru looked to the side at the Ninth boss, and noticed that he was glancing at her concernedly, almost as if he was imploring her to respond. "Miss Haru, you alright?"

Haru felt herself mentally jump, and pulled on a false smile as she responded in her native tongue without resorting to her pronoun habits. "Oh! Um…I'm…I'm fine! Really…"

She then allowed her glance to fall back in front of her, and felt a lump in her chest as she glanced into the boy's eyes. He seemed so different from when he was in front of the school gates, though it was likely that a mafia boss candidate was often someone who didn't show their true selves in the open for the public eye to see. Still, Haru found herself incapable of speaking confidently whenever she glanced into the eyes of this person who she didn't even know; for some unknown reason, she felt like she was being seen through and read off of like a book.

She knew, though, that she had to say something, just to be polite.

Haru felt something akin to her heart tangle into a clenched knot, bit on her lip, and spoke softly to the boy in front of her, "Pleased to meet you…Sawada-san."

* * *

Tsuna glanced carefully at the girl sitting across from him at the table; so far, she was quite wary of his position in the mafia world. Most girls who he met in a situation where he had to use the Dying Will flame would often fawn over him beyond belief whenever they saw how capable he was in that stage. Not that he would show off his skill in front of people out in the open, of course.

The Ninth had, after all, suggested that he use his Hyper Intuition to read the people who would serve under him, not just as a test for his skill at reading individuals but also as a way of almost intimidating spies and so forth.

Still, there was something about this Haru girl that made him curious. Most of the girls who he met that knew about the Dying Will flame somehow ended up unnervingly finding him attractive. This girl, on the other hand, seemed to shrink into her own frame, and had winced when he took her hand in a binding hold.

Why was it that she didn't seem to want to be near him?

Was she still angry that he had pushed her off the stairs and landed on her?

Or was it because he was a mafia boss?

Tsuna mentally sighed. It seems like he still had a ways to go in order to read people in general. The Ninth was able to read this girl without even using his flame and guarantee the fact that she wasn't a spy, but that still didn't mean he was going to let his own guard down so soon. No one, as far as he knew, was absolutely perfect at the skill of seeing through others, and his predecessor was not an exception, extraordinary as the old man was.

And now, he was sitting here, waiting to be tutored as usual and fail in front of someone who he didn't know as well. Great way to start a day, alright.

Tsuna bit on his lip slightly. He had never wanted to be a mafia boss in his life, admittedly. He had never wanted to attend a prestigious school where he would fail so miserably all the time—though, from what he remembered, he never did well in any of his classes even in Japan and often fell miserably in even the easiest sports. He had not expected the Ninth to ask for a tutor from someone he didn't know, and yet he couldn't just turn down the offer and speak out against said person so openly.

"Um…"

Tsuna allowed his vision to shift as he heard the girl hesitate on speaking to him. He really needed to stop letting himself go so deeply into thought to the point of forgetting what is going on around him. Otherwise, chances are that someone would kill him if he wasn't paying enough attention to his surroundings.

He blinked, and watched as the Ninth and a few of his Guardians have walked into the study.

"I think we will have the tutoring contract signed and confirmed here. How about it, Tsu-kun?"

"Okay."

"Is that alright with you, Miss Haru?"

Tsuna watched from the corner of his peripheral vision as the girl blinked—looking into her lap all the time so that her eyes didn't glance straight into his—then nodded hesitantly.

Hm, strange, indeed. Most people weren't this afraid of him.

What was it that was making her so fearful of him?

"So…as you both know, this contract will be alright for six years."

Tsuna and the girl nodded.

"So far, we know of the hours for Miss Haru's off-times. Tsu-kun will then proceed to show up every other afternoon—every Monday, Wednesday and Friday—from now on at 4:30 PM to 8:30 PM—every weekend for Saturday and Sunday from after breakfast to after dinner, and about the same for every holiday when there is no major business crisis."

Tsuna gulped. Damn…that was…a lot of time that he will have to spend with this girl.

"Miss Haru's hours for finishing her schoolwork will be included in this time, so that it won't be too difficult on her schoolwork schedule. As Miss Haru has told us before, her schedule begins at 6:30 AM in the morning, and her school goes from 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM. Her homework hours, as usual, will be two hours where she can take a break from teaching Tsu-kun."

The brown-haired teenager blinked. Two hours? That was how long she needed every day to finish her homework? That's odd. For a girl who he had just met, she sure took a lot of time to finish studying.

"We would also like to offer the option of having Miss Haru stay with us during the holiday seasons. That ways, it won't be too difficult on you to go back and forth from your dormitory to the estate."

The girl—Miura Haru—sat straight up. "…u—um. Yes, sir."

Tsuna watched as the Ninth smiled knowingly. "I believe that Miss Haru would do extraordinarily well for this. In regards to what is involved in the studying, Miss Haru may take the liberty and authority to being a teacher. As for you, Tsu-kun…" the Ninth paused, and looked at his successor as he continued, "please be cooperative and protect Miss Haru to the best of your abilities."

The young mafia boss-in-training nodded. "I will."

The paper was then written down, and Tsuna found himself and Haru each with a copy in hand.

"Please look over the terms, if you may."

Tsuna bit on his lip as he glanced over the hours. This was definitely a bit much, he had to admit. In ways, he guessed that the Ninth was possibly testing his ability to get along with people he didn't know, as well as his cooperation with this sort of situation. He glanced to the side, and noticed how Haru's hands were slightly shaking and tense, as though she was looking at a contract that meant her entire life to change.

_She definitely is worried about whether or not she could fulfill this end of the deal_, the brown-haired teenager thought amusedly. It didn't seem like she was complaining about the hours, though, because she wasn't even looking at them.

Her next reaction, though, made him blink.

Slowly, her hand went up determinedly, and Tsuna watched in amazement as Haru take the pen and sign her name, the day, and her birthdate number.

"Thank you, Miss Haru."

Tsuna turned to the paper. He knew that this was a trial and error sort of thing. Ever since the day he arrived in Italy at the private school, he had never done well in studying, even with the help of Gokudera-kun and the others. And now, they weren't going to have enough time to help him around for this.

This time, he was on his own, with a girl he didn't know—though it was obvious that she wasn't related to or affiliated with any mafia family and most likely wouldn't do so in any sense of the word.

Tsuna sighed mentally. He did need the studying, though. For all he knew, it was necessary for protecting and keeping up with the rest of the family. That school that the Ninth wanted him to attend in the future was one where the mafia family future leaders gathered. Though he didn't quite like the idea of becoming one of them, he knew that it was an obligation for him to take over and ensure the safety of the people he cared about the most.

Gokudera-kun, who was constantly slaving away to become his Underboss so that he wouldn't have to worry so much about his heritage one day.

Yamamoto-kun, who had traveled all the way here to ensure his safety.

Ryohei-sempai, who wanted to become a capable Guardian for the sake of him and the young ones.

Chrome-san, who silently agreed to becoming a Mafioso for the sake of protecting them all.

Hibari-san, who agreed to leave Namimori for the sake of fighting in the cause so that the Vongola would protect his precious school.

Everyone he knew was depending on him. He couldn't leave them like this.

Tsuna took the pen, and signed his name, the date and his birthday number.

* * *

Haru watched as the papers were taken away to be sealed somewhere and sat up determinedly. She had finally decided, and it was a good thing she did. As far as she knew, this was the only way she could fulfill that favor. Looking for a matchmaker was out of question, mostly because she knew that most matchmakers of Italy were not exactly outside of the mafia and would choose the person who would benefit them the most. What's more, if she were to return to Japan, her chances of finding a proper husband were even lower, mostly due to the fact that she was not too great at socializing and that she was far too outspoken and far too ambitious for a proper Japanese girl.

It was why she had moved to Italy, of all places. She had wanted to go to the best schools and find herself in a place where she could be accepted more often for once. Though she didn't know if this decision was the absolute right one, she knew that it was at least better than her other options.

"Ahem."

She jumped, and glanced carefully to the side out of her peripheral vision. She was alone with him.

Sawada Tsunayoshi.

The Tenth mafia boss of the Vongola.

What's worse, he was looking at her now.

Haru gulped. She was going to have to talk to him. Even if she didn't enjoy the prospect, it was necessary. For all she knew, she was in his power, and though she didn't quite understand what was going on in the mafia world to make someone like her out of all people teach him, she did know that Mafioso were dangerous people, and that she would have to step carefully around him in order to ensure that she didn't mess up anything.

"So…where should we begin?"

She blinked. He was…talking like any ordinary person, as though he wasn't a Mafioso. What the hell? Does he think that she assumes he's just like how he was in front of that school, or does he assume this just in order to make her feel less afraid?

"Hahi…" Haru whined under her breath.

"Huh?"

She jumped. Damn it all! She had to talk to him. What should she say? What should she do?

Haru bit on her lip. She should probably just ask him about what subject he wished to start on. If anything, that would at least lead somewhere and not make her have to involve him staring at her. Anything but that.

A Mafioso staring at oneself is often a dangerous thing, because one never knows what they are thinking.

As long as she had something to say, she would be able to avoid his glance and so forth at her and place that glance on the paper instead. Good. Nice planning, Haru!

Though, in the meantime, she would have to find a way to keep him at arms length when she could.

"…u—um…what subject would you like to start on?"

* * *

Tsuna felt his heart skip a beat—mostly in fear—when he heard the girl say the dreaded words. Subject? He was horrible at just about every subject that the school offered. There was no question that he could deal with properly, not unless it had to do with the history of the mafia.

Reborn had, after all, drilled all that information into him over the course of years.

Damn it…and now, he didn't know what to say.

Tsuna gulped, then realized that he needed to answer. Considering all his subjects, he was most incapable at math, and yet that wasn't something he wanted to show this girl. What if she laughed at him? What if she thought him as useless and worthless as he was considered by the Japanese students at his school? What if…

_What if she laughs at me for these weaknesses?_

_Tsu-kun, you will have to face it one day. Not everyone looks down on you like that. And not everyone will. Some people can actually help you out of this situation._

_Right, Ninth._

He bit back a sigh. So typical of the Ninth to ask him to open up to people, even though he wasn't sure if he could do well with it.

He was never great at taking risks, though. But, if it meant that he could see through Haru and look at what kind of person she is, then so be it. If he could at least learn and find a way to build up on his skills, then he might as well try.

Tsuna closed his eyes, then spoke in Japanese. "Mathematics, then."

* * *

Mathematics.

It was her best subject.

At least, when it involved her persistence and determination, that is.

Haru felt a slight bit of relief as Sawada-san said the subject. Dang…thank goodness that she won't have to worry so much. For now, she will have to worry about what his issue is with studying and with understanding the concepts. What's more, she won't have to worry about doing badly in front of him for now. She didn't have any subjects other than Mathematics that she used to not do well in, and that possibly gives her an advantage here.

She had not always been a good student, for she had to work like hell to get to where she is now.

Haru slowly allowed her vision to fall onto the boy for the moment. Now that his firey eyes and flaming hands were gone, he looked exactly like the uncertain, unsure boy she had run into at the beginning. Still, she wasn't about to let her guard down and think that he was perfectly harmless to her. What was that which he used when she saw him in the room with the Ninth? Why was he on fire at that time?

_Never mind. Too many questions._ Haru shook her head. She needed to concentrate on the task at hand.

She hesitantly turned to the boy, and asked, "May I see your last test?"

* * *

Tsuna felt his headache become insistent, and mentally sighed as he rubbed the nervous part of his forehead more. Of all things, they had to go with Mathematics.

His worst subject.

And, as it seemed, it possibly was her best. Considering her slightly relieved expression and her seemingly confident approach to asking him for his test.

"I think it's here." Tsuna took off his twenty-seven-numbered mittens and placed them in his backpack, then took out his tests and winced when he noticed Haru walk closer to him to see the results.

Silence pervaded the room, and Tsuna wondered whether Haru was messing with him, though something told him she was thinking—what with that serious look on her face. To his surprise, Haru took the test from his hands.

"Er…I know that I might be pretty bad at studying and all. That and…math is my worst subject…"

The silence continued, and Tsuna glanced over at his new tutor's expression. Something was wrong, if she still hasn't laughed or mocked him yet. What was it that is making her so serious?

He then turned to her slightly, and scratched the back of his head. "So…yeah, you can laugh at me. It's really stupid that I—"

"There's nothing funny about this."

Huh?

"Sawada-san, your math score is at this level for a reason."

"Uh…yeah?" Tsuna felt a bead of sweat go down his chin. Damn…why did he have a bad feeling about this? Was she going to tell him that he was useless, like he really was?

"And, that reason is that you haven't been studying enough."

_What?_

"There is no person I know of who studies enough and gets a grade like this. Unless…"

Wait a second…what? Why—

"…unless you are far behind on the material."

Tsuna blinked, wide-eyed. How…how did she come to that conclusion? He then gathered himself, and asked the dreaded question.

"What do you mean?"

"It's here, on this page. Sawada-san doesn't exactly know what to do for this test. And because of that, he falls behind on the entire subject."

Tsuna blinked again. "Er…is it that obvious?"

"Not really, actually. Haru thinks that the reason there is so little written work on here is that Tsuna-san doesn't know the answers and doesn't know how to get them here. That often isn't a result of stupidity, but something that is still serious."

"…oh?"

"It's a result of falling behind and not having enough help or motivation."

Damn. How did she know he didn't have motivation? What's worse, what was he going to do about this? What if she found him out and told him that he was hopeless and a loser, and everything falls apart?

Haru blinked, and Tsuna found himself looking into a pair of slightly accusing, searching brown eyes.

"Sawada-san. Why is it that you don't want to do well in school?"

"…what?"

"Sawada-san, your grades are abysmal because you aren't trying."

Tsuna blinked. "R—really? But…I thought…"

"…that you are a born-loser? Get real. That's never the case, Sawada-san."

Tsuna felt his eyes widen a fraction more. "But…why?"

The next thing that happened was something Tsuna would have never anticipated, not even in his two years with Reborn.

"You're not a loser, Sawada-san," Haru spoke firmly.

"But…why? Everyone…everyone thinks I'm a loser!" Tsuna exclaimed, "Everyone at my school, that is…"

"Well, I don't."

The brown-haired mafia boss blinked.

"I will not look down at you for having these sort of grades, Sawada-san. That will only make me a loser as well," Haru nodded as she took out a red pen to explain the problems to him.

* * *

The Ninth stood on the other side of the door, and smiled. "She is good for our Tsu-kun."

Reborn smirked. "I take it that you finally found a good tutor for him academically?"

"Not only that; she seems to be someone who might motivate him, for once."

The arcobaleno looked at the floor. "Interesting…she may prove to be a nice addition to the family, alright."

* * *

To be continued...

* * *

Review, please! :)


	4. What Remains of the Past Still Haunts Us

**Title:** An Unusual Request

**Chapter Title:** What Remains of the Past Still Haunts Us

**Author:** Primal Red

**Character(s)/Pairing:** Sawada Tsunayoshi. Miura Haru. Gokudera Hayato. Timoteo (Ninth Vongola boss). Gradual and eventual TsuHaru.

**Genre:** General/Drama/Romance

**Rating:** T/PG-13 for some blood, and dark themes.

**Warnings:** For now, elements of bullying and psychological themes in the background. Also, a little injury.

**Summary:** [Alternate Universe where Tsuna moves to Italy when he's 14 and Haru never meets Tsuna] Haru needs to be married by the age of 22. Desperate, she asks for help from the Vongola mafia family's Ninth boss to find a good husband. In return for the favor, she must help the Tenth Vongola mafia boss-to-be, Sawada Tsunayoshi, improve his poor academic record.

* * *

**A/N:** This chapter might go into what I think might have transpired with Haru's early years. Not always pretty and nice. Also… Chapter 5 and 6 are coming up. After my two finals next week, I will continue writing, that is…But, I can't guarantee more than 1 chapter at a time for each series. ^^; Damn me. Not to mention...I need to continue with Under the Endless Sky AND keep up with the new additions I have in store. So many to work on...

* * *

Chapter 4: What Remains of the Past Still Haunts Us

* * *

It was terrifying.

She had stopped speaking in third person.

In fact, she had started referring to herself normally, with the pronoun "I".

What had happened, really?

She usually spoke in third person, and though Haru knew that some of her speech mannerisms involved her early habits developed to survive being ostracized in school, the fact was that this Sawada Tsunayoshi—future mafia don of the powerful Vongola family—had unintentionally made her speak seriously.

Haru blinked as her expression intuitively went from solemnly considering to bewildered, then bit on her lip hesitantly. Damn, she was trying to be polite, and yet here she was shooting her mouth off. Something about Sawada-san's grades and script and the way he wrote in the answers so hesitantly and lightly—as though he was so desperate to fit in and be accepted and yet so afraid of failing—made her unbelievably mad.

Screw that. She had been furious. Downright livid.

Something in the way he referred to himself as stupid and a loser and as someone she could—and even should—laugh at despite his desperate, agonizingly sad attempts to be accepted with dignity like a human being made her want to scream at the world in rage.

Of course, she couldn't do that. Not in front of Sawada-san, of all people. If she did that, she might risk scaring the poor boy and even canceling the contract if she were to do something stupid.

Life is unfair, that ways.

"Alright. Now onto the last problem, number thirty. So far, from what Haru sees, you didn't really know where to begin with this particular one. From there, it seems you aren't familiar with the order of operations. In here, the multiplication goes before the addition, and same for division before subtraction. Also…keep in mind that the brackets do a lot of changing the results. For this problem, you first subtract nine from seven, then you multiply that result—which is two—by four. Then, you add it to one. The result is nine."

"I…er…I see. Hahah…"

"Basically, the order of operations depends on how the brackets go. What's more, exponents go even before every other operation, unless the exponent itself is powering up a bracket."

Haru looked up from the corner of her eye, and noticed that Sawada-san had scratched the back of his head, as if he was embarrassed. For some reason, the reminder of what he had said earlier burned again, and she frowned slightly. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about. You didn't know before this. And, if that's the case, it should be obvious that you are not a loser."

She glanced back at the paper, and glanced over the entirety of the test. So, two out of thirty. That means he only learned how to do a bit of addition and so forth, and even then it's tentative, since he doesn't know how to add properly in regards to the more complicated numbers. What's worse was that he didn't multiply well and had no idea about division.

Little wonder why he couldn't even get the order of operations. He was so far behind that he needed more help on the whole thing and more time. A LOT MORE.

"…Why?"

Haru looked up, and bewilderedly widened her eyes at the distraught expression on Sawada-san. If there was one thing for sure, it was that she didn't expect a future mafia boss to look so sad.

Where did she recognize that expression before?

_The twelve-year-old dark-haired Midori student held her hands up to the mirror as she glanced exhaustedly at herself alone in her room. "Why do they always laugh at Haru? Why can't Haru ever have any friends?"_

_She then glanced straight into her eyes, and it was such a profound level of agony and frustration and resentment that she felt when she saw how downcast and defeated she had become. "Why can't anyone like Haru? What did Haru do wrong?"_

"_Why?"_

"_Why?"_

"_WHY?"_

_The glass crashed down to the floor as blood flowed around the edges. The twelve-year-old girl pullled her fist out from the crack in the middle of where the mirror once was and sobbed uncontrollably, as though the world and had destroyed all her dreams in front of her and laughed and left her desolately behind._

"…why?"

Haru blinked as her memory was pushed back into reality, and stared at Sawada-san. So, that was what it was. That was what had been bothering her right now.

Why was it that he looked so similar to her in the mirror at that time four years ago?

Haru bit on her lip, and then quietly replied, "What do you mean, Sawada-san?"

"Why do you say that I'm not a loser?"

Haru felt her eyes widen, then clenched her hands a bit on the paper. "Because you aren't one, Sawada-san," she replied flatly.

The answer seemed to have made the dark emotion go across his eyes even more, because the boy bit on his lip and almost glared at her. "What do you mean, 'you're not a loser'?"

"Haru means that you aren't a loser."

"I've been called a loser all my life!"

Haru felt herself hold her breath at those words, and something in her stomach clenched intensely to a strain of rage that threatened to come out. Her words, however, were deadly calm and low in a tone that almost froze the atmosphere. "…they actually call you that?"

At the sound of her voice, Sawada-san quieted, and a fearfulness almost seemed to overcome him from her deadly calm. "…um…yeah?"

"LET. ME. RESTATE. MYSELF." Haru gritted her teeth, and glared straight into Sawada-san's now-confused, slightly frightened eyes. "If they say ANYTHING MORE like that to you, then rest assured that THEY are the actual losers that you speak so lowly of yourself being."

Sawada-san winced at her words. "…b—but…"

"STOP IT!" Haru shouted, "THEY are the ones who are putting you down. WHY the hell don't you talk back to them, not even ONCE?"

Sawada-san flinched. "Stop that! You're yelling at me!"

"Does it even matter? Those bastards are the stupid ones! Don't you feel sad and angry and resentful that they are walking over you, that they never accept you for who you are and laugh at you every day even though you try to be nice to them? Why do you let them do that to you, anyways? You're better than that, Sawada-san!"

At her last words, Sawada-san blinked, as though he was suddenly given something that he had always, always wanted to hear and yet never did. "I…I am?"

"YES!" Haru leaped up from the chair, then pointed directly at Sawada-san. "YOU have more capabilities than you think, Sawada-san. The ONLY damn reason why you are still right where you are now has to do with the lost time and the negative perspective that have kept you back."

Sawada-san blinked and stared at her, and Haru huffed as she sat down again. "Sawada-san, I know that academically-speaking, your grades might have had a long history of…that kind. However, it doesn't matter what your grades were in the past. What matters is why your grades were like that, what is causing them to be that ways, and how to change them to what you want them to be. What matters is that you actually WANT those grades to change. What matters the most is that you actually TRY."

Sawada-san continued to stare off into space—as though she had said an epithet of the worst kind and had committed a great blasphemy of some sort—then, like the sun coming out of an eclipse, he glanced up at her with a slight bit of hope and uncertainty, as though he was so desperate to wish for his answer to be accepted. "…R—really? If I actually try?"

Haru nodded with all the genuineness and determination her enthusiasm could give. "Really. And if it helps, Haru will be there to help you all the way."

She watched as Sawada-san blinked owlishly at her answer, as though he had not expected her to give him exactly what he had wanted that it was shocking for him to gain so suddenly. Then as if something had made him profoundly content, he smiled.

It was the most genuine, wonderful smile that she had ever seen. It showed a profound acceptance and kindness in the boy that she had never imagined could exist.

Even Kyoko-chan didn't have that genuine of a smile, as cute and innocent as she was.

Haru felt a rush of pride in herself, and bit on her lip to refrain from blushing and returning the smile. Darn it…she was trying to retain her composure, and now all this yelling and so forth was making her mess up. What's worse, she was now embarrassed beyond all doubt, since she had tried to remain calm through the whole thing and had now failed.

What a troublemaker she was.

As though he had sensed her thoughts, Sawada-san smiled amusedly. "Well, if that's the case…I guess I don't mind you yelling too much. As long as you say that."

Haru blushed, and bit on her lip embarrassedly as she recalled her earlier actions. "Er, Haru didn't want to yell and point and all. Sorry."

"That's alright."

Haru blinked and looked at him suspiciously. For a mafia boss-to-be, he sure seems very accommodating and nice. It was quite odd to be meeting someone like this.

Though…the Ninth was definitely polite and considerate when she talked with him.

Some people do behave similarly.

Haru sighed, then placed the paper down on the table. "So…Haru thinks we might need to plan a study schedule."

At those words, Tsuna blinked. "S—study schedule?"

"Yep."

"Wait—what do you mean?"

"A schedule that decides on what to study for at certain times. Since Sawada-san is sometimes busy, there needs to be a schedule so that Sawada-san won't have any trouble with timing the schoolwork and studying so that he doesn't put off being a mafia boss AND a student at the Academia."

"R—right."

Haru frowned for a moment. That last response was a bit strange. Why did he sound so hesitant and uncertain when she reminded him of his mafia boss status? She shook her head, then continued. "So…um, may Haru see your class schedule?"

* * *

Tsuna couldn't help but smile as he watched the dark-haired girl go over his schedule and scribble over her own college-ruled paper. It was quite amusing, really, to watch her be so intently focused on things, albeit a bit comical that she was so unique in her expressiveness and intensely explosive personality. Of all the people he had met in his life, this girl was one of the few people who could be so devoted to a task for him—as devoted as Gokudera-kun. What amused him the most, though, was the fact that she had—just a few moments ago—declared to his face and dared to challenge him on the idea that he was every bit the useless-Tsuna that his peers outside of his family considered him.

The girl stopped, then looked up from the side of her vision, and Tsuna quickly turned a bit to hide his smile. For a girl who rushed into things, she was really damn sharp and perceptive. It wouldn't do to let her think that he was laughing at her.

Still, she was quite interesting. Just a few minutes ago, she had shouted and yelled at him for not standing up for himself in the past to people who jeered at him even when he deserved it. She had stood on the table, pointed at him directly, and stared him down straight in the eye to challenge him on how worthless he thought he was. What's more, she had told him outright that they—the people who called him dame-Tsuna—were absolutely wrong about him.

It was unthinkable, to say the least. That this girl, in just an hour or two, would tell him so blatantly that he was never as weak and useless as the world perceived him.

Seriously. Who is she?

Tsuna blinked, then glanced out of the corner of his eye at Miss Haru. For some reason, there had been a flood of emotions in her expression when he had shouted at her due to her statement that he was not completely useless. There was something in her eyes that had spoke of something akin to a level of connection that he couldn't quite pinpoint, something that frightened him when he realized how angry he had made her with it.

It was almost as though she had understood him. Empathetic, almost.

Nah. She couldn't understand him THAT well. She's a top-level honors exchange student with one of the highest grades in the top private schools. How on earth could she understand someone like him, a loser through and through who can't even get mediocre grades on a test?

It was ridiculous. Unless there was more to her than he thought.

He appreciated the kindness, though. Miss Haru might not necessarily know him that well, but she definitely was trying to help without much, if any, strings attached.

And, for that, he would appreciate her help. He needed all the help he could get, after all.

* * *

Tsuna watched from his view at the window in the study as Haru stepped into the car with the other mafiosi who were assigned to escort her to her dormitory. So far, he didn't know what to think of the entire thing, except that he was actually okay with the arrangement for some reason. It was one thing, though, to accept the contract completely right away, but it was completely another thing with this whole situation.

For some reason, he liked this Miura Haru girl as his tutor.

For one, she not only didn't call him a loser like the others, but she even outright went against that notion.

For two, she worked really hard and clearly to make sure he understood everything and was exceptionally thoughtful.

And, for three, somehow, he felt that she intended to help him. Somehow, when he had stated how others called him a loser, he had sensed a very dark, almost angry cloud in her mind and hands. There was something particularly terrifying about her when she yelled at him, something that was raging and wrathful and furious at the world for an injustice that he couldn't name.

And yet, for some reason, he felt that the rage she threw out wasn't directed at him, but at the people who made fun of him.

And, for some strange reason, he felt slightly happier, even almost to the point of being able to trust her, because of it.

Really, it was surprising.

"Tsu-kun."

Tsuna turned to the person who entered at the door. "Ninth."

"I think it's getting late, isn't it?"

Tsuna nodded. The entire session did take, after all, over four hours, and yet he felt rather accomplished this time around, unlike with the other tutors that didn't involve his Guardians.

It was, after all, the consequence of his status. His Guardians were good, capable people and wonderful friends, and yet they couldn't be around with enough time to help him with academics.

"So…how did it go?"

Tsuna blinked at his question, then smiled calmly. "I think it went nicely. Miss Miura Haru even gave me a time to make a good study schedule to go by so that the entire studying sessions will be organized and well-placed."

"Ah." The Ninth nodded approvingly. "I guess they were right. She definitely is a capable student."

"Yeah, she really is. She…er, knew that Math was going to be my hardest subject, so she said I would need a lot of time outside the business to practice with problems for it. She said that math takes persistence over time to get, so she told me that I needed to be patient with myself and more stubborn in order to do well. What's more, she has all the subject studying lined up so that we could look over each one of them right after each day…er, except Sports and Writing and Math. She told me that those need more attention. Well, at least…that's what she agreed to."

The Ninth nodded and said, "If that's the case, then it seems we're both okay with her. Though…how do you particularly think of her as a trustworthy tutor?"

Tsuna blinked, then thought for a moment. "I think she is actually being genuine with us. She was kinda afraid of me at first, and I think that has to do with her not knowing how to deal with the mafia…" He stopped, then thought for a moment and continued, "…I think she is really trying to help. She probably means well, and for that, I guess I feel strange about the whole thing, since…I'm not used to having someone help me so willingly outside of their own interests even when they know I'm the Vongola Tenth."

The Ninth blinked at this. "Well, she was originally requesting that we help her find a husband—though she didn't know what she could do in return for it. Nevertheless…it seems that she is willing to teach you far beyond what is expected of her."

Tsuna nodded as he recalled what Haru's request was. "So how did she feel about it?"

The Ninth Vongola Don smiled ruefully. "She was definitely embarrassed, to say the least, when she told us this. The thing is, many Japanese society families require that the women of their society at least marry sometime after their twenties or so. The problem for Miss Haru, however, is that she didn't have the time or means to consider this well and prepare for it. In ways, she is now trying to find a way to prepare, but she doesn't know what she could do for it without some help."

Tsuna nodded. "Then…since she wants to fulfill her side of the bargain so much, shouldn't we fulfill our side for her as well?"

The Ninth sighed. "We definitely could, but it won't be easy. To look for a man with a good record or a background that can provide is not an easy task. So far, we have already started on the work of profiling for this. From what she said to us about a day ago, though, Miss Haru had a few conditions in particular that she was concerned about."

"Really? Which ones?"

"She had three particular conditions: One, that her husband allows her to continue studying in college so that she won't be just any housewife. Two, that he is independent financially on his own. And three, that he doesn't look down on her or her dreams."

Tsuna blinked. "Hm," he said, "That is odd."

"Indeed. She's quite unique, isn't she?"

"Yeah. I mean, the first kind is not easy to find, because a lot of guys in Italy are not too exacting on letting their significant others go to school—though they won't mind much—while a lot of guys in Japan expect the married woman to stay at home and be a housewife, period. The second part is also odd, since…most girls would want the guy to be very rich, but this Haru would actually only require him to be independent. And the third one…how do we know if the guy won't laugh at her dreams?"

"Perhaps, though as far as we know, we don't know what her dreams are like."

"True." Tsuna replied at the realization, then turned to the side. "We might have to ask her about that sometime."

* * *

Haru sighed as she flopped onto her bed after the shower and drying herself up with a towel. Today, of all things, had been quite an eventful day. Too eventful, if anyone were to ask her.

Far too eventful.

She had met the boy who she would be tutoring—a future mafia boss, no less. She had signed a contract that she knew she needed to uphold and stand by, since her future depended on it. She had even shouted at said future mafia boss and helped him figure things out on academics.

If anything, she would rather that her life not have any of these sort of things happen all at once, otherwise she would end up with a heart attack somewhere down the line.

Haru breathed in deeply, then sighed. What the hell did she sign her name on?

She knew that a mafia organization was an illegal sort of business. Nevertheless, she didn't quite get into researching any materials in the administration of justice, and for this she wasn't sure if she could be accurate with her understanding of what went on in a mafia family. What's more, she didn't know if her parents would accept the idea of her receiving help from a mafia family on the matter that they wanted her to resolve soon.

If worse comes to worse, they might disown her if they knew.

And then, she will not have any support in this world. No one to care…no one to help her…

Haru closed her eyes and tried not to clench her fists. No. She can't lose. She can't let her dreams go away and prove those other girls right. She had to continue. If she didn't defy them, she will lose every right to talk back to those girls at her old school. They will be proven right about her inherent weakness and worthlessness…

—"_You know, Haru-chan, you can't even talk right! Referring to yourself in third person is the dumbest way to talk in front of anyone!" The foremost of the crowd of girls rolled her eyes in disgust as she violently swatted the books out of the darker-haired girl's hands and stomped over the notebooks. "There's no way you can be worth ANYTHING. The fact that the in-crowd of this school picks on you due to your stupid costumes says a lot, doesn't it? Just give up on ever being anything special. You're born to be a loser and you're a loser until the day you die. Just give up going to school at all. Actually…just give up breathing! We'll even help you do the suicide, you know. Better to die than be such a weak parasite."_

_A catty giggle from another girl. "Of course. Haru-chan isn't from a truly high-class family like any of us. And she isn't even cute-looking, either. She doesn't even wear makeup! Why does she think she can be ANYTHING at all compared to someone like you, Sayuri-chan?"_

"_Loser! Loser! Born to be a parasite loser!" The lighter-haired girls chanted and shrieked in laughter around the lone dark-haired girl who silently picked up her books and forcing herself to be indifferent to what was being said—_

She had to do this. She had to fight them and prove them wrong.

* * *

To be continued…


End file.
